Out and About: Karen Jordan, Owner of Jordan Florist

Karen Jordan is the owner of Jordan Florist. It has been in business for nineteen years at its current location of 10 Palisado Ave. Prior to that, Jordan was located at 244 Bloomfield Ave., starting in 1992. They are family owned and operated. Jordan Florist is committed to offering only the finest floral arrangements and gifts, backed by service that is friendly and prompt.

Karen was born and raised in Windsor. Her father was with the police department for thirty-four years. She went to school at Clover St., L.P. Wilson, Sage Park, and Windsor High. Both her father and late grandmother, who had passed away before Karen was born, shared a love of florals. Her father would drive by Snelgrove's and tell his young daughter at the time, "You're gonna work there someday." It's exactly what happened. Karen started to work for Sid Snelgrove while in high school and after graduating in '75. "He was great." She explains, "I just walked into Sid's and said, 'Can I have a job?' He hired me. I started delivering. That was my first job. I was young." Aside from working with Snelgrove, she had experience with other florists in town before opening her own shop. "That way I could make mistakes on my own," Karen laughs. Although Karen did not attend college, she did go to Floral Design School in Florida for several months to hone her craft.

When she herself became a florist in her own right, she started her shop at 244 Bloomfield Ave., in 1992, a small building where Griffin TV used to operate from. That space is now occupied by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties. After seven years at Bloomfield Ave., Jordan Florist had outgrown their little shop in '99. A move was made to 10 Palisado Ave., where Case Oil had once been. The building was left vacant for two years. The owner kept after Karen's husband, Ernie to look at the building. "How can you make an oil company look pretty?" Karen gave in, finally checking out the old building. It was spacious, still smelled like oil, and had been a garage. Ernie, being a carpenter saw a lot of potential. "He had the vision." Everything was cleared. Nothing was deemed toxic, and this gave Karen a start on the new building. Over time, the Jordans decided on moving their own home. That turned out to be 2,200 sq. ft. of living space above the shop, which they are very proud of.

Her passion lies deeply in the floral industry as she marks around the mid-fortieth year in business. She notes, "I drive to Boston every Wednesday to the flower market. Four o'clock in the morning. Here by ten. I handpick all my flowers." Regarding the experience of being a florist, Karen explains. "You definitely learn on the job. It's hard work. It's very stressful because everything is timed. Weddings on time. Funerals on time. People walk in and need an arrangement. You've got to like it. You're on your feet all day. It's tough." She says with pride, "I've got a great staff. Great girls. That's important." Jordan Florist is a full service florist "It's not just cut flowers." They do a lot of funeral work. Along with the floral designs, Jordan's offers plenty of gifts, accessories, and lots of cards.

Karen loves Windsor. She's looking forward to all of the progress around town. In earlier years, she had been a member of the Windsor Junior Woman's Club. Currently, she is a Chamber of Commerce member. As a Windsorite, Karen is fond of the Asian Bistro and Tunxis Grill.

The Windsor Connecticut Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization here to help businesses work together to enhance the quality of life in Windsor and provide activities and support to the entire community.